Playa Grande Golf Closed to Public for Good

[ctrob]

Why is it that there is now only one working golf course that I know of (Playa Dorada) on the North Coast? .

They are planning one for Star Hills, but who knows if it will actually be built and when.

There's always los Mangos in Costambar?

 

[Dolores1]

Is doubtful that a golf course would be built at Star Hills. You are talking about big bucks.

 

[william webster]

Remember, Playa grande was finished as a design in the early 70,s.

Built in the early 90's.

Commissioned by the government as a public course, it is more pretty than challenging.
Think Port Royal in Bermuda -- exactly the same model...
Gov't commissioned, as a public course.

 

[Dolores1]

Playa Grande still to be open to public

It is yet to be seen if the Playa Grande golf course not be available for play for a fee. It has been promoted by the Ministry of Tourism in the understanding that it would be open to tourists, even when being expensive to play.

Am just reading a press release that has this information:

"The course is led by PGA professional Julio Santos, who was born in the Dominican Republic and is known today as one of the country?s most respected golf professionals and teachers. The management announces that the staff at Playa Grande Golf Course will offer a full program of instruction for all ages and levels of play, honoring the traditions and decorum of golf while making the game accessible to new and young players. Instruction includes large on-practice putting greens, a practice fairway and short game area."

If they are going to offer "a full program of instruction for all ages and levels of play", then it would seem the course will not be exclusively for the use of Aman guests.

 

[BermudaRum]

Am just reading a press release that has this information:

"The course is led by PGA professional Julio Santos, who was born in the Dominican Republic and is known today as one of the country?s most respected golf professionals and teachers. The management announces that the staff at Playa Grande Golf Course will offer a full program of instruction for all ages and levels of play, honoring the traditions and decorum of golf while making the game accessible to new and young players. Instruction includes large on-practice putting greens, a practice fairway and short game area."

If they are going to offer "a full program of instruction for all ages and levels of play", then it would seem the course will not be exclusively for the use of Aman guests.

I can name you a list of private courses where a non member can pay for golf lessons, however you will not be able to stand on the 1st tee and play that course.

 

[Kipling333]

Remember, Playa grande was finished as a design in the early 70,s.

Built in the early 90's.

Commissioned by the government as a public course, it is more pretty than challenging.
Think Port Royal in Bermuda -- exactly the same model...
Gov't commissioned, as a public course.

Quite wrong..sorry..it is just as challenging as it is pretty ..has the best collection of driving holes in the country .

 

[Kipling333]

The main reason there are not more golf courses on the north coast and that more golf courses are not being built in the DR is that the adequate maintenance of golf courses is VERY expensive.

Not correct ..here in the DR labour costs are cheap and the list of courses recently built in the DR but almost exclusively in the east is impressive

 

[windeguy]

Kipling versus Dolores. Where will that go?

But then here I go:

"a full program of instruction for all ages and levels of play", does not mean the course will not be exclusively for the use of Aman guests

 

[Koreano]

It looks great. I think Playa Grande was first or second golf course that I had ever played in DR. Now that my wife started to play if they can offer two people with 5 years old, around $300-$400 for AI and a round of golf with late checkout, I might be interested in going some day. Perhaps when "all-new" wears off they will come down like many of the places up north.

 

[NALs]

The rumor mill says that the hotel that is under construction will be charging $2,000 a night. With a price like that, it makes perfect sense the golf course will be off limits to everyone else. I think the price is for villas, but I'm not sure.

 

[beekaynz]

The rumor mill says that the hotel that is under construction will be charging $2,000 a night. With a price like that, it makes perfect sense the golf course will be off limits to everyone else. I think the price is for villas, but I'm not sure.

If you go to the website for the hotel, Amanera you will get all the information. Prices for a casita start at $2100 per night.

 

[windeguy]

I checked one day in the future. Rates go up to $4,000 US a night at Amanera for a one bedroom 818 square foot casita. Doubtful this will be a publicly available golf course.

 

[Kipling333]

I also doubt if they will get what they are asking very often.. We can only wait and see but my bet is that they will be seeking paying players relatively soon or the course will sink again .. Los Corales asks a lot on the internet but accepts less and at Casa de Campo the price at the hotel is much less but in season you can pay up to $4000 for a villa with staff

 

[CG]

From the website:

For any golf course related questions, please contact:

Massiel Garcia
Playa Grande Golf Course
golf@playagrande.com
Tel: 809-582-0860 ext. 21
Fax: 809-582-9884

It also states that the course is currently under renovation and not available for play.
The renovated back nine has been delivered already, and the full golf course renovation will be completed
simultaneously with the Amanera hotel opening on 23 November, 2015.

 

[Koreano]

I checked one day in the future. Rates go up to $4,000 US a night at Amanera for a one bedroom 818 square foot casita. Doubtful this will be a publicly available golf course.

For $4000, I want to see if they can bring me foot of snow from up north and thanksgiving dinner that our sister-in-laws are probably starting to prepare in US.

There is no way I am going to pay that much for a room and a round of golf.

 

[windeguy]

Playa Grande Golf Course is indeed closed to the public

I received this response :


Thank you for your interest in Playa Grande Golf Course.

The course is only available to members and Amanera hotel guests. If you would like to play our private course, I could put you in contact with Amanera reservations, and they can further assist you with your vacation plans. Please advise.


With kind regards

Massiel Garcia

Playa Grande Club & Reserve
Auto. 5. Carretera Rio San Juan – Cabrera, Km. 8
Rio San Juan, Republica Dominicana

Hope no golfers purchased homes in the vicinity thinking they would be able to golf there without being "members". Whatever members really means I will leave it up for the golfers to determine. Dollar signs is my guess.

 

[Kipling333]

Yes very expensive ,,the two major private members clubs are Santo Domingo Country Club and La Romana Country Club ,,you can expect to pay at least $ 40,000 just to join the latter.

 

[windeguy]

Yes very expensive ,,the two major private members clubs are Santo Domingo Country Club and La Romana Country Club ,,you can expect to pay at least $ 40,000 just to join the latter.

That keeps out the riff-raff.

[video=youtube;MKmejXZJN2M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKmejXZJN2M[/video]

 

[Left on Red]

Kipling, I think the Aman is on a whole different level than Caso de Campo or Los Corales. It makes the Four Seasons look like the Courtyard by Marriott. It is so exclusive that most people have never even heard of them, let alone stayed at one. I have only one friend who is a regular, and he describes an almost cult like following. They will go anywhere to stay at an Aman, and pay any amount. Budget is not a determining concern for these guests.

 

[windeguy]

I agree.

I met a fellow once a few years ago who has various trips under his belt to Cabrera luxury villas.

He was musing one night about his financial affairs.

He made one comment in particular: "I can go out today and buy just about anything I would want in this world, and tomorrow, I'll still have more money than I have today"

There are a lot of folks in that financial position today, and I think they are the clients Aman is trying to attract.

Us mere mortals are irrelevant to them.

But, I gotta tell ya, looking at the stuff on line for Aman, I just don't see the level of luxury those folks tend to be attracted to, to say the least.

But, then again, what do I know?

Somewhere between 1% and 2% of the world's population. The ones who actually run the governments.

With Aman being that exclusive so as to be almost unheard of, there is little chance they will ever become public.